Almondnet Spins Off Data Company

Ad targeting company Almondnet has spun off its data division into a stand-alone company called Datonics, through which it will sell behavioral data to help advertisers target ad buys through third party platforms such as networks and DSPs. It's one of a number of ad networks that have diversified their offerings in response to the rise of exchange-traded media bought through agency trading desks.

"The growth of the online data market, and the growth of Datonics in particular, warranted the spin-off of Datonics as a stand-alone business entity," the new company's CEO Michael Benedek told ClickZ.

At launch Datonics' data will be integrated with DSP provider Turn, and ad network and audience segmentation company interclick, which will have access to the company's purchase intent, life-stage, and demographic information.

AlmondNet CEO Roy Shkedi suggested the spin-off is a reflection of the changing online media landscape, as media buyers increasingly acquire inventory from ad exchanges and other real-time sources such as supply-side platforms. "It's a testament to the growing need for data sources within digital advertising. As this industry evolves, intelligence is increasingly…vital to online marketing success," he commented in a press release.

To capitalize on that thirst for data, firms on both the buy and sell-side of the industry are building out their data capabilities. Late last month WPP rolled all of its data-driven media buying operations into one offering, dubbed Xaxis, which will house all of its clients' data in a centralized "data warehouse."

Meanwhile, Google is also rumored to be developing its own data marketplace, into which publishers and third party providers such as Datonics could potentially tip their audience data for advertisers to acquire on a bidded basis.